Event One: Strengthening Our Practice: Refining Our Aim __________________________________________________________________________ Ask Us About - 1.3 San Francisco __________________________________________________________________________
Left to right: Susan Uttech, Brian Weaver
(standing), Brett Fuller and Claude Gilmore
Wisconsin Coordinated School Health
Policy and Environmental Approaches to Support School Health
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and Department of Health Services (DHS) have worked together to improve the health status of Wisconsin children by initiating statewide changes to increase physical activity and health eating. Funding from the National Governor’s Association, Wisconsin Partnership Program, and CDC (ARRA) are being used to develop and implement statewide programs and policies to increase school-aged youth physical activity levels to meet the recommend daily average of 60 minutes.
Wisconsin middle schools can be trained in using FitnessGram, over 200 schools over 2 years. A state bill has been introduced this legislative session to mandate fitness testing among students in grades 3rd-12th and to ban sugar-sweetened beverages and candy in all school buildings (public and private). ARRA funding is being used by DPI to develop a statewide initiative to improve the physical activity levels among preK-12 students.
The funding is being used to provide grants to school to improve their PA practices and to partner with community programs and/or local coalitions. A kit and professional development is being developed to assist schools and communities to design and implement effective PA strategies (e.g., active recess, safe routes to school). In addition to the PA activities above, a Farm to School bill has been introduced in this legislative session and the state health plan for 2020, Healthiest Wisconsin 2020, has include school health as one of its overarching goals.
